Our Dance
by Lucky Lady
Summary: A new tale of Sara and Derek
1. Sara

Our Dance (Chapter 1)  
  
Sara glanced out the window of the train at the passing farmland. It reminded her so much of the first trip she'd taken to Chicago. How her mother had died. As she pushed back fresh tears, she reminded herself this time she has people to look forward to again. Roy had a steady job now and was eager to show her around the newly built club. Chenille had a job waitressing at a nearby diner and was spending more time with Christopher. And the one person she was looking forward to seeing most this Christmas was Derek. He was coming back from Georgetown and didn't know she was coming too. She couldn't wait to see the look on his face.  
  
As the train slowed to a stop in the Chicago station and Sara stepped off the train, she was ambushed by several persons. All she could see and hear was Chenille's voice and Roy's face. They were all laughing as they fell over onto a nearby bench. Sara grinned and turned to Roy.  
  
"So, what kind of father are you? Where are my bags mister?"  
  
Roy laughed, "Alright, I'll meet you guys in the parking lot." He disappeared down the platform in the rising mist of steam.  
  
Chenille hugged her again and broke out into a grin. They started walking down the platform slowly, chatting about school and Julliard and their lives. Sara felt so happy to be back home again.  
  
Roy dropped them at Chenille's after making Sara promise him she'd be home for lunch tomorrow. Sara grinned, knowing that he was referring to her and Derek, but still teased him about not trusting her.  
  
As they walked up the steps to the apartment, Sara turned to Chenille.  
  
"Chenille, I have a question. Is everything alright here, I've just been getting a sense of terror and fear from your letters. What's up?"  
  
Chenille sank down onto the steps. "Hun, you know me real good right? And you treat Derek like he should. I gotta tell you somethin'."  
  
Sara sat down next to her. "So, sup?"  
  
A silent tear rolled down Chenille's cheek and Sara wrapped her arm around her. "Mamma G's real sick. She's got cancer or somethin' like that. I just don't know what to do anymore. I've had to hire a babysitter for Christopher. And on top of all that, Kenny's asked me to marry him."  
  
Sara took all this in at once. She stared at Chenille for a minute then whispered, "Have you told Derek yet?"  
  
Chenille shook her head and put her head on Sara's shoulder.  
  
"I was thinkin' that we could sit down with him. You're as much a part of our family as ever."  
  
Sara looked down at her lap and contemplated this for a moment. She knew she had to be there for Derek and Chenille, but she didn't know if she would be able to handle all that emotion at the same time. Plus her mom. She let out a long breath and turned back to Chenille, who had composed herself a bit.  
  
"Alright, I will. But you're going to have to explain it to him first okay? I know he's all with the doctor thing and everything, but it's only his second year and he don't know everything yet."  
  
"You're just like my sister hun. Thanks."  
  
Chenille smiled and stood up with Sara, hugged her, and they walked into the apartment to await the arrival of Derek. 


	2. Derek Arrives

  
  
  
  


The door opened and a loud holler was heard from the front entry way. Derek crashed into the kitchen with a grin spread across his face like butter. He dropped his bags in his room and hugged Momma G and Christopher. Then he went in search of Chenille to say hi and see if she's had any letters from Sara lately. As he stepped into her bedroom and saw the back full of blonde hair he nearly fainted. She was home for Christmas!!!! He let out another holler and grabber he from behind. Then realized what he'd done.

  
  


"Derek you fool what are you doing gettin' all cozy and shit with my manikin?" Chenille laughed as she walked into the room with a bolt of cloth under her arm. "That's my new dress I'm makin' genius so get your grubby doctor paws off her."

  
  


Derek looked down in his arms at the plastic face staring back at him. He had been so happy thinkin' it was Sara. He should've known better. Suddenly a pair of thin white arms wrapped around his waist and a very familiar laugh echoed behind him. The grin was spread across his face once more and he turned around to look Sara in the eyes.

  
  


"Why did you tell me you were going to be home for Christmas?" he laughed as he hugged her.

  
  


"You're surprised aren't you?" she replied. "Any ways, what's Christmas without a little excitement?" She winked at him and gave him a quick kiss before turning back to Chenille. "So girl, what's up for tonight. We hittin' Steps?"

  
  


"Duh! Why would we do anything else girl? Plus it's the Christmas Bomb tonight." Chenille layed the bolt down and clipped a piece of it onto the collar of the dress. "But first I need you to try on this dress I'm makin' for one of the girls at work for Christmas. You're about her size." She gave Derek a stern look." I know how much you want to stay, but there's no chance big shot."

  
  


Derek kissed Sara again and headed out of his sisters room, listening closely to the jingle of laughing behind him. Man how he loved Christmas.

______________________________________________________________________________

"When are we gonna tell him Chenille?" Sara mumbled under the silver/blue fabric being stretched over her head. 

  
  


Chenille sighed and stepped back to look at the dress."Lets try tomorrow hun. Let him have one night of ultimate fun with his girl, then he can take the bad news."

  
  


"Along with the good I'm assuming?" Sara looked at her, wondering about Kenny's proposal.

  
  


"Yeah," Chenille said flatly,"along with the good."


	3. Steps

The music blasted through the doors as they entered the infamous Steps. The one place where Sara now felt at home, even under the watchful eyes of Nikki, her "arch-rival" who had tried to steal Derek from Sara even though she had tossed him back first. As they sat on one of the upper platforms, Sara bobbed her head to the beat of Ice Cube, Put Your Back Into It.

  
  


She nuzzled her lips within an inch of his ear and spoke loud enough for only him to hear "Do you remember this song?"

  
  


He smiled at her and said back "Do you remember the look on Nikki's face?"

  
  


They both broke out in fits of laughter and he slung his arm around her waist. From the corner of her eye, Sara noticed Chenille glaring at something. Sliding over on the couch to talk to her best friend, Sara craned her neck to see what Chenille was glaring at on the dance floor. Then she spotted him.

  
  


"Ya know Sara, this is why I was so disgusted with him when he asked me that. When he starter playin' with the question of marryin' my ass and then he goes out and hangs off that niggah that doesn't look older than 16!! He thinks he's so big time up there. I should get Snook to kick his ass right out of this place. Its too good for a low life of his magnitude."

  
  


Down on the dance floor Sara couldn't believe her eyes. The once, as she had thought, more sensible Kenny had his hands down the front of some girls skirt. Sara cringed in disgust and turned back to the pissed off look Chenille was shooting in his direction. 

  
  


"You want Derek to kick his ass?"

  
  


A smile played across Chenille's lips as she took her eyes off Christopher's father and back at Sara. 

  
  


"No hun that's all good. I'm gonna do it myself."

  
  


Chenille stood up before Sara could say anything and strutted down the winding steps towards the dance floor. Sara quickly slipped back to Derek and hissed in his ear "Watch our backs. The snake king just pissed her off and she's on the warpath. I get to play backup tonight."

Derek watched openmouthed as she turned for the stairs and hurried towards his sister. What the hell was going on here?!

  
  


______________________________________________________________________________

  
  


"Yo! Kenny! Sup?"

  
  


Kenny's eyes opened wide as he slowly turned to face the oh so familiar face of Chenille. He knew he was in shit, he could hear it in her voice.

  
  


"Now Chenille don't get worked up I was just.." 

*WHAP*

  
  


"What the hell's up with you bitch? All I was doin' was dancin'!"

  
  


Kenny clutched his jaw where Chenille had landed a very nice right hook. But the daggers she was staring at him made him shut up the second after the words were out of his mouth.

  
  


"You cheatin' SOB I should get your ass kicked out of this place and so far out of this city that you'll be able to see China but you know what Kenny? I'm not going to because you just proposed to me two days ago and I don't really feel like explaining this to everybody again tomorrow!"

  
  


The music slowly died as Snook and everybody else turned to stare at the red faced Chenille.

  
  


"And for another thing, that thing you were dancing with is no longer in this club either. I swear Kenny if you weren't my baby's father and I needed your money that never comes, I'd kill you right here and now." She turned to the crowd around her and yelled "HERE STANDS THE MOST COWARDLY BROTHA I'VE EVER LAID EYES ON. HE'S MY BABY'S FATHER AND HE PROPOSED YESTERDAY, BUT HERE HE IS NOW, HANGIN OFF HIS GIRLS AGAIN SO I'LL TELL YA'LL WHAT. I'M GONNA REFUSE, AS ALL YOU LADIES SHOULD IN THE FUTURE."

  
  


Derek stood openmouthed down at his sister. That creep had proposed?? Why hadn't she told him?? "Uh Oh..." he thought, "I better get down there before..."

  
  


Chenille stormed out the door and when Kenny looked up, all he saw was fist. *WHAP* 

He looked up from the floor holding his broken nose with blood on his hands at the only white girl ever allowed in the club. Sara stared back at him and with on sentence, said it all. 

  
  


"That was for cheating on my sister."

  
  



	4. Aftermath

"Chenille! Wait up!"

  
  


Derek bounded up alongside of Chenille with Sara at his side, both out of breath, a few blocks away from Steps.

  
  


"Why didn't you tell me?"

  
  


Chenille looked down at the ground as she was walking fast with tears streaming down her face. She couldn't bare to face him and his questions right now. She looked at Sara with a pleading look on her face. Sara sighed and knew what her friend ment.

  
  


"Derek, why don't we go for a walk and then head back home to talk to Chenille?"

  
  


"A'ight, just as long as YOU tell me what's goin' on in my life..."

  
  


The couple split away from Chenille and walked around the corner to a small diner. Sitting at a small table in the back corner, Sara filled Derek in on all that Chenille told her that afternoon. 

  
  


Derek looked down into his coffee with an expressionless face. The anger was bubbling up inside him and he had half a mind to go back to Steps and punch Kenny a third time over. Yet the heavy feeling of Chenille's feelings and Momma G's sickness hung over him like a deadweight. 

  
  


Sara put her hand on his arm as a silent tear rolled down his cheek. There was so much pain built up inside of there and she knew it. His mom never being around, and not knowing his dad. Now his sister and grandmother being attacked too and he was helpless to stop anything.

She could see in his eyes the way his heart was breaking.

  
  


"Do you know how sick she is?" he asked in a raspy voice.

  
  


"Not yet, we have to go and talk to Chenille soon. She just needed some time to calm down. I can't believe that jerk."

  
  


Derek snorted. 

  
  


"At least it wasn't Nikki he had his paws on. Then there woulda been some serious blood goin' on at Steps tonight."

  
  


"Yeah Derek, but still. How could he be so stupid and unfeeling and...mean?"

  
  


Derek looked out the window at the stragglers coming out of the store across the street after Christmas shopping. A few lazy snowflakes drifted down onto the iced sidewalks and street. 

  
  


"You don't know the past of Kenny Sara. He's always been hurtin' someone in one way or another. He's been messing up his life and everyone elses from the day he was born."

  
  


Sara looked at him and decided not to take it any further. They had to go talk to Chenille. 

______________________________________________________________________________

  
  


They walked in the door, hand in hand to find Christopher and Momma G sleeping. Sara knocked lightly on Chenille's bedroom door and slowly entered. She was sitting on her bed, her once tear-streaked face now dry and sad. The look on her face Sara had never seen before. It was one of sadness and worthlessness. And it scared her to see it on Chenille. 

  
  


"I'm not marrying him."

  
  


"Well, I'd understand that perfectly, after what he pulled tonight." Sara replied, pulling Chenille into her arms.

  
  


"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner Derek, but I didn't want you worryin' the first night back with Sara. I didn't want to ruin your mood."

  
  


"Its alright Chenille," Derek said, staring at her,"I know why."

  
  


Chenille sighed. 

  
  


"She's dying Derek."

  
  


Derek stared at her for what seemed eternity to all of them, no one saying anything.

  
  


"How long do they say she has left?"

  
  


A silent tear rolled down Chenille's cheek. "They don't know. Its breast cancer. It could be tomorrow, next week, next month, or 5 years from now. They just don't know."

  
  


Derek looked up at the ceiling. None of them felt like pursuing the conversation any longer. It was too new and too emotional.

  
  


Sara turned to Derek. "Do you want to come over to my place?"

  
  


Chenille looked at Sara thankfully, not knowing what she would do if she saw Derek cry. She hadn't seen him cry since he was nine. She didn't know how she would handle it. 

  
  


"Yeah."

______________________________________________________________________________

  
  


They lay in the dark of her room, with his head on her stomach. Thinking. As the tears started rolling down Derek's face again, Sara thought to herself. "Why them? Why two people in my life that have done everything for me? Why am I so helpless..."


	5. Trying

Derek woke up with the sun shining on his face. He yawned and looked up at Sara, still sleeping peacefully. He sighed and thought about the events of last night. Why could something like this happen to all of us? Momma G's been the best ever to us...and Chenille doesn't deserve that good for nothin' jerk. He closed his eyes again and tried to wipe it all away. He knew he couldn't. He looked back up to Sara. She looked so peaceful...how did he ever deserve this angel? He smiled to himself as he thought "They always said angels dressed in all colours..."

  
  


A smile played across Sara's lips as she opened her eyes and realized that Derek was watching her sleep. She smiled and slid down under the blue comforter with him. He was smiling at her and she knew it was going to be a rare thing for the next little while.

  
  


"Your wearing those geeky chick pyjamas again" he laughed into her stomach.

  
  


"Yeah well you're wearing green silk so I wouldn't be talking. We don't exactly match Mister!"

  
  


They both stoped laughing and looked at each other. Derek caressed the side of her face with his hand and sighed. 

  
  


"I love you so much..."

  
  


Sara's eyes brimmed up with tears and she bit her lip.

  
  


"I love you too...and I'm here for you. You're not alone in this and don't you ever forget it. Ever. You're not allowed to."

  
  


"Like I would. How could I ever forget you? All the tears we've shared? Its just brings our lives this much closer together...its amazing really."

  
  


"SARA!"

  
  


Sara stuck her head out from the blanket, and smiled at Roy's uncanny ability to ruin the moment in every sense. Derek stuck his head out long enough to kiss her passionately, then duck back down into the warmth of the bed. 

  
  


Roy walked into Sara's bedroom with two plates of pancakes.

  
  


"Good morning sweetheart. Mornin' Derek."

  
  


Derek pulled his head back out and smiled at Roy.

  
  


"You kids are going to have to come eat at the table because I'm sick and tired of Sara cleaning her bed."

  
  


"Roy, I only lived here for 2 months before going to Julliard and when did I clean my bed?"

  
  


Roy smiled and them and walked out of the room, leaving the two of them puzzled and confused.

Sara looked down at Derek and let out a short sigh. How could she be thinking of fun when her boyfriends grandmother was dying and her best friend had just been hurt so much by her now ex-lover. She gazed at the ceiling and rubbed Derek's back as they both lay there, knowing that they were both thinking the same thing. Mamma G's sickness was hitting them all where it really hurts. The heart. She thought of how everyone was going to take it if Mamma G actually died. "Wake yourself up Sara." she said to herself, "Of course Mamma G's gonna die. She's really old and she's got cancer and...oh my gosh I don't know. I just don't know what to do. I care about these people so much and I don't know what to do. I wish mom were still here. She's know what to do...but she wasn't there. She wasn't there to help me with her death, Derek was. And know I have to be here for him when someone close to him dies. Oh but Derek didn't know you mom! I know Mamma G and I don't know how I'M going to take it let alone Derek and Chenille..."

Derek looked up at Sara, deep in thought. He didn't know how she could be so strong, but at the end of the day still have time to cry for everyone. As long as he had known her she'd been a strong person. He knew he had helped her with her mom's death and by the look on her face, he'd say that was exactly what she was thinking about. 

"Well," Sara started, "I guess we'd better get out there before Roy comes in, rips the blankets off and discovers what you're really wearing." ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

When they got back to the apartment, Chenille didn't let any of them have a second to talk for they were put to work immediately. She got Derek to take Christopher out to the playground while her and Sara put the finishing touches on the latest dress. Then they were all busy once again cooking, cleaning and putting stuff away. Chenille had decided to give Mamma G a day off and had sent her out to get some air, go for a walk and go visit a few of her friends. They put the day aside to forget everything last night had brought them and really just let themselves go numb. When Mamma G returned she insisted that they all go to Steps again because they had given her such a wonderful gift of a day off.

Chenille grinned. "Don't worry Mamma G, we were goin' ta hit Steps anyways. Don't we always?" ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Nikki looked up at the flow of people coming in the door and groaned in disgust. They were always here weren't they. The band off the happy niggahs and the little white girl. All cosy and shit. Made her want to puke. Suddenly, she noticed an even more familiar face walk in the door. "Hmm," she thought to herself, "I didn't know he was out yet." A smile crept its way across her face. "Just my luck, I'm gonna have me some fun tonight." ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sara looked around the tight packed club of Steps. A few familiar faces popped out in the crowd and she waved at Snooks on his platform. Out of the corner of her eye she caught Nikki glaring at her, which only made her cling off Derek even more, not that he minded or anything. When Nikki's eyes left the couple, Sara saw her smile, which was never a good thing. She turned to look and see who was coming in the open double doors. Oh. My. Gosh. 

She grabbed Derek's arm and pulled him over to one side, watching Chenille walk away with one of the guys from around. She hissed in his ear, "Look over by the bar and see which friend just made his guest appearence!"

Derek looked over his shoulder to surprisingly come face to face, Malachi. 

"Sup Derek?"

Derek was at a loss for words. He thought they had locked him up for some serious time!

"Surprised to see me? Well I got out on bail. Cost those stupid niggahs I call parents to hop a account or two, but I'm out."

Derek regained his composure. "So Malachi, what are you planning to do now? Gonna kill me for not goin' with ya'll?"

Malachi looked down in disgust. "Ya know Derek? I expected more from you. Course I'm not gonna bust ya ass! You're ma brotha! No matter what shit went down then and you're not on ma back, its all good in this hood."

"Well, I'm bein' pulled out to bust a cap bro, so I'm gonna jet." 

Derek was towed away slowly by Sara and a look of disgust implanted itself on Malachi's face. "Stupid niggah."

Then he felt the hands around his waist. He looked down to the familiar black manicured nails. "Damn," he thought, "I'm gonna get it on now..." He turned to face Nikki with a half smile on his face.

"Sup beautiful?"

"I'm bustin' my ass Malachi! I'm standin' here about to bust a cap if we don't get out there and get it on, its been so long.."

With the look on her face and the feelings Malachi had about tonight, he pulled Nikki close, grabbed her ass, and walked down to the dance floor.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	6. Dancing into a Bottle

            Sara spun around again and again staring at the ceiling high above her. The music blasted through the speakers in four corners around her and it was going straight to her heart. It was the only place she could feel safe, happy and close to her mom all at the same time.  But tonight it wasn't doing much and she longed to be whisked away to a place where no one could touch her. Unfortunately, Nikki chose that moment to bump into her, sending her sprawling to the floor.

            "Oh sorry Barbie, didn't mean to get your white lace in a bundle" Nikki mocked in a falsetto voice. 

            "Bite me." Sara replied as Derek swept her back into his arms and swung her into a bouncing dip, accompanied by a passionate kiss. Which Sara was sure was his own little way of retaliating against Nikki. 

She placed a sappy grin on her face and danced closer to him. "Snooks picked the perfect time to switch into a slow song…" Sara thought to herself as Derek swung her around again and pulled her closer.  Looking back up at the ceiling, she caught a glace in a mirror that startled her almost more than seeing Malachi out and about again. 

Nikki and Malachi making out. It almost made her want to laugh, if it wasn't that surprisingly disturbing. She turned her head on Derek's shoulder and asked him if he knew what was up between the two antagonists. He whirled her around, shrugged, and pulled her off the dance floor to get a drink. Their day had been hard and they needed some real music to pick up the beat and make them drift into forgetting.

            As if Snooks read her mind, Chenille was pleased to hear MaryMary's "I Sings" start to blast out from all corners of the room. She laughed, ran up the steps towards the scratch table and grabbed Snooks arm. 

            "Common' Fluffy, we're getting this one on." She said with a grin at the surprised look on his face.

            "Well, Junior CAN take over for a minute…" he stuttered back as he was pulled down the steps towards the dance floor. He did like Chenille, but was surprised. She wasn't usually like this…

            "Well, you want to head back to my place or not?" Nikki whispered into Malachi's ear.

            "Damn girl, watcha think I'd be? Some kinda proper gentlemen from Georgetown and shit like that? Of course I'm draggin' your sorry ass back to your place. Is your mamma gonna be followin' me though?"

            "Hell no. She got in a bar fight last night and knocked a couple teeth out of a drunk. She won't come back til who cares when. I got the whole place with you…wherever you want." 

            "Damn…" Malachi said as they stepped out into the cold air of late December.

            As Sara, Derek and Chenille danced their cares into a bottle inside the booming club, outside a few snowflakes were starting to fall and a cold wind was settling onto the city. A odd sense of fear lingered on the cold breeze that night…no one knows exactly where it came from, but a few knew where it was going…


End file.
